Thousands Protest Calif. Education Cuts

Updated at 5:25 p.m. ET

Rowdy protesters blocked major gates at two California universities and smashed the windows of a car Thursday amid campus protests across the nation against deep cuts in education funding.

Protesters at the University of California, Santa Cruz, surrounded the car while its driver was inside.

The uninjured driver was not trying to get onto campus and appeared to have been singled out at random, Santa Cruz police Capt. Steve Clark said.

University provost David Kliger said there were reports of protesters carrying clubs and knives, but Clark could not confirm those reports.

No arrests had been made at the school.

Officials at the Santa Cruz branch campus are telling employees and others to stay away from the campus because of safety concerns involving protesters.

On the campus's Web site, an advisory was posted urging people to avoid campus as protesters upset about funding cuts block main entrances.

It said a windshield was reported smashed and protesters had photographed the license plate of a staff member trying to enter the campus. Police began turning cars away from the campus' main entrance around 6 a.m.

The protest is part of a series of marches, rallies, teach-ins and class walkouts scheduled to take place Thursday at college campuses and public spaces in California and other states. The demonstrations, part of a "National Day of Action for Public Education," will include a rally on the steps of the Capitol.

Some university officials said they supported the protests as long as they remained peaceful.

"My heart and my support are with everybody and anybody who wants to stand up for public education," University of California President Mark Yudof said in a statement. "Public education drives a society's ability to progress and to prosper."

At the University of California, Berkeley, a small group of protesters formed a human chain blocking a main gate leading to the campus. Later in the day, hundreds more gathered for a peaceful rally against major cuts to higher education funding.

"We're one of the largest economies in the world, and we can't fund the basics," said Mike Scullin, 29, a graduate student in education who plans to become a high school teacher. "We're throwing away a generation of students by defunding education."

Experts said schools and colleges could face more severe financial trouble over the next few years as they drain federal stimulus money that temporarily prevented widespread layoffs and classroom cuts.

Protest actions were held at most of the 10 University of California campuses, 23 California State University campuses and many of the state's 110 community colleges.

Demonstrations were also planned at universities in New York, Alabama, Michigan and Massachusetts.

Students, teachers, parents and school employees from across California gathered in Sacramento for a midday rally at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to restore funding to public schools.

Linda Wall, a state Department of Mental Health employee, said she had two children attending Sacramento State University. Hikes in student fees and mandatory furloughs for state workers have strained her budget.

"Their tuition has taken a big chunk of my paycheck and my paycheck is shrinking, so it's a double whammy," Wall said.

Large regional rallies were planned at San Francisco Civic Center, Pershing Square in Los Angeles, Balboa Park in San Diego and public plazas in other cities.

In response to a 20 percent reduction in state funding, the University of California and California State University systems have imposed furloughs on faculty and staff, sharply reduced course offerings, turned away thousands of qualified students and raised tuition by more than 30 percent.

"You're paying more and you're getting less for it," said Katelyn Rauch, a senior majoring in political science at California State University, Channel Islands. "Classes are being cut, students aren't able to graduate on time, entire majors are being closed."

In Fairfield, Calif., one teacher set up folding chairs along the side of a road Thursday morning, draping a pink shirt over a chair for every teacher expected to receive a pink slip, reports CBS News Station KOVR-TV in Sacramento, Calif.

"I don't feel any hope," teacher and union rep Monica Brown told KOVR-TV. "I feel just utter despair, and no, there's no morale, and it's not just my school. It's up and down the state. There is no morale. We are beaten and beaten and beaten, and it's like, why should we care when the public doesn't seem to care?"

(Scroll down to watch KOVR-TV's report on the protests)

On Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met with leaders of the state's colleges and universities to discuss the budget cuts.

Over the past five years, state budget cuts have caused student fees to rise by 61 percent at UC, $8,000 per year for resident undergraduates, and 68 percent at CSU, to $4,900 per year. Fees at the state's 110 community colleges dropped during that period but shot up 30 percent this year.

The schools serve a combined 3.5 million students each year.

With a state budget deficit of $20 billion, Schwarzenegger said he had done his best to limit the fiscal pain inflicted on colleges and universities.

"We've done everything we could, but the bottom line is it's not enough," he said after Wednesday's meeting. "We need to put pressure on the Legislature not only this year in a year of crisis, but in the future, how do we guarantee enough funding for education?"

Schwarzenegger in January pledged to preserve higher education funding at least at its current level.

He also proposed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing that at least 10 percent of general fund spending would go toward UC and CSU. No more than 7 percent would go to state prisons.

Since Schwarzenegger took office in 2004, prisons have eaten up an increasing share of the general fund - 10.9 percent this year compared to 8.7 percent in 2004.

Meanwhile, higher education funding has consistently lagged behind, dipping below 7 percent of general fund spending in 2006 - the lowest level in at least 27 years, according to the state Department of Finance.

Funding to UC and CSU dropped this year to 7.5 percent of the general fund. Community college funding is covered under a separate section of the fund.

Wednesday's late-afternoon gathering at the Capitol included California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, Sacramento State University President Alexander Gonzalez and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, among other top administrators and student leaders.

Victor Sanchez, president of the UC Student Association, said the funding cuts were putting a public good in jeopardy. But he said he thought the governor's budget proposal was a step in the right direction.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said the meeting was just the start of a long road ahead to secure the necessary support for education.

"We're willing to go up and down the state to find that elusive, long-term, stable funding," he said of himself and the other participants.